UV Disinfection Lights Can Cause Indoor Air Pollution

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UV Disinfection Lights Can Cause Indoor Air Pollution

A paper sign is clipped to an open door to a public restroom. The sign reads, “Stop. Do Not Enter. Bathroom is closed for an experiment.”

For most people, a smelly bathroom is something to avoid. But when the ventilation stopped working in his lab’s hallway bathroom, indoor air expert Michael Link smelled opportunity.  

At the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Link and his colleague Dustin Poppendieck study air sanitizers that use ultraviolet light (UV). These devices kill pathogens such as those that cause the flu and COVID-19, but they can also cause unintended chemical reactions in the air. 

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